Econs

Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein call "Econs", are myopic and subject to inertia.

Forbes.com: News Len Burman 2011

He calls such idealized people “Econs,” as distinguished from “Humans.”

The unbearable arrogance of the "Nudge-ers" 2009

I was trying to look at it from the point of view of the Nudging Econs (i.e. the regulators), who would be tempted to behave just like manipulative advertisers.

The Volokh Conspiracy » More on Behavioral Economics and Regulatory Policy: 2010

And even to the extent that an individual may employ similar strategies to correct his fault, the key difference is that the person has become self-aware of his fault and actively chooses to adopt those strategies rather than passively and perhaps unconsciously submit to the paternalistic Nudging Econs.

The Volokh Conspiracy » Paternalistic versus Therapeutic? 2010

That presupposes the Nudging Econs will have very different institutional incentives from manipulative private businesses.

The Volokh Conspiracy » More on Behavioral Economics and Regulatory Policy: 2010

By contrast, while Nudging Econs may recognize that humans have cognitive faults, they are more likely to exploit those faults in such a way as to make people “better off” without necessarily making them better people (i.e. correcting the faults).

The Volokh Conspiracy » Paternalistic versus Therapeutic? 2010

By contrast, while Nudging Econs may recognize that humans have cognitive faults, they are more likely to exploit those faults in such a way as to make people “better off” without necessarily making them better people (i.e. correcting the faults).

The Volokh Conspiracy » Paternalistic versus Therapeutic? 2010

Econs are walking computers, and behave according to the laws of classical economics; Humans are quirky, like the people you meet on the street.

The unbearable arrogance of the "Nudge-ers" 2009

And even to the extent that an individual may employ similar strategies to correct his fault, the key difference is that the person has become self-aware of his fault and actively chooses to adopt those strategies rather than passively and perhaps unconsciously submit to the paternalistic Nudging Econs.

The Volokh Conspiracy » Paternalistic versus Therapeutic? 2010

And even to the extent that an individual may employ similar strategies to correct his fault, the key difference is that the person has become self-aware of his fault and actively chooses to adopt those strategies rather than passively and perhaps unconsciously submit to the paternalistic Nudging Econs.

The Volokh Conspiracy » Paternalistic versus Therapeutic? 2010